Elisa Molina

I definitely attribute my success to my daughter. I am a mom of an 8-year-old firecracker. She is very outspoken and has a really bubbly, beautiful personality. I call her Mimi Covedoza, and I do everything for her, for my mom, and my family. She's my driving force and the reason I push myself to achieve everything I do.

What I would tell young women is that you have to be okay with putting in the work. It's important for us to be ambitious and have dreams, but those things will not come to fruition unless you do some of the work. If you feel lonely or like you need advice, guidance, or a mentor, go out there and look for that mentor. Even if you're introverted, figure out ways and look for tips and tricks to overcome the fear of approaching strangers, talking to others, and putting yourself out there. You have to put in the work - if you want to shift jobs, go out there and do the research, get to know people, figure out what you really want to do and where you want to go. One of the things I learned when I was really young as an associate at the organization was that I didn't know where I wanted to go, and because of that, a lot of people made the decision for me. I got promoted maybe to do things that weren't necessarily my strengths, but I just did a good job at them and they saw that as potential. It wasn't until later in life that I was more clear and confident as to what I wanted and where I wanted to go, that I started making decisions for myself and advocating for myself. But if you do that at an earlier age, if you're starting your career, it would really help you tremendously. So put in the work, do the research, and get to work.

One of the biggest opportunities in my field right now is the ability to shift from a product-based e-commerce model to service-driven work, which allows for more direct and meaningful impact in the communities I serve. I’ve also been able to leverage small-business resources and funding opportunities that expanded during and after COVID, which have helped open doors for growth and innovation. At the same time, a key challenge is the uneven burden on women who are often balancing careers with caregiving responsibilities, along with long-standing gaps in networking and self-promotion that can limit visibility and advancement.

The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are feminism and women’s empowerment, community service, creating voice and opportunity for Latina women, and staying grounded in the importance of family.